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Tens of Thousands Evacuated as Fire Rages in Southern California Southern California Fire Flared Up at 5 Acres. A Day Later, It Covered 30,000.
(about 2 hours later)
A fire that was raging out of control north of San Bernardino, Calif., on Tuesday night has forced the evacuation of 82,000 residents and consumed 30,000 acres, the authorities said Wednesday. SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — The first report of the fire came late on Tuesday morning from the San Bernardino National Forest Service: “5 acres in heavy fuels w/ 10mph winds.”
None of the so-called Blue Cut Fire was reported to be contained, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said on Twitter. An estimated 34,500 homes were affected by the evacuation orders, the department said. Two firefighters were treated for minor injures. Three hours later, the fire had grown to 2,500 acres. Two hours after that, it covered 6,500 acres. And then the wildfire exploded. By nightfall, the fire had topped 18,000 acres and by morning 30,000 acres.
And one official warned that it could get worse. More than 24 hours later, none of the Blue Cut Fire was reported to be contained. Ahead of the roaring fire, officials ordered the evacuation of about 82,000 residents in an estimated 34,500 homes. Vehicles packed with residents, their pets and their belongings snaked out of the area. Interstate highways were among the numerous roads closed.
The wildfire, which started in the Cajon Pass, about 13 miles northwest of San Bernardino, “hit hard, it hit fast, it hit with an intensity that we haven’t seen before,” said Mark Hartwig, the San Bernardino County fire chief.
A combination of high winds, high temperatures and low humidity in California’s fifth year of drought made for prime wildfire conditions, Bob Poole, a spokesman for the United States Forest Service, said in an interview with KTLA, a Los Angeles television station.
Although officials did not know how many houses had been destroyed overnight, on Wednesday they tried to prepare residents for the worst.
“It was devastating,” Chief Hartwig said. “There will be a lot of families that come home to nothing.”
Among the buildings destroyed was the iconic Summit Inn, a rest stop on the old Route 66.
As firefighters moved to try to control the fire, one official warned that it could get worse.
“We are in red flag conditions,” said Travis Mason, a spokesman with the San Bernardino National Forest Service. “I believe the acreage of fire will grow over the course of time.”“We are in red flag conditions,” said Travis Mason, a spokesman with the San Bernardino National Forest Service. “I believe the acreage of fire will grow over the course of time.”
Helicopters were scooping up water, and planes were spraying flame retardant in an effort to get ahead of the fire. The incident commander for the fire, Mike Wakowski, said during a news conference that in his 40 years of fighting fires, he had never seen a fire behave this way.
Ten air tankers (two of them “very large”), 57 engines and 700 firefighters were on the scene, the department said. “The fuels are extremely dry and very explosive this time of year,” he said.
The fire started around 10:30 a.m. in the Cajon Pass, about 13 miles northwest of San Bernardino, the department reported. The fire grew from two acres to about 1,500 acres in about an hour, and it was reported to have grown to 30,000 acres Wednesday morning, fueled by the dry, heavy brush in the area, which has been in a drought for five years. Officials also cautioned that explosive fires like this were becoming more common.
. “One of the things that we’re seeing is that the fires are burning in really an unprecedented fashion,” said Glenn Barley, the San Bernardino unit chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, which is known as Calfire. “It’s to the point where explosive fire growth is the new normal this year, and that’s a challenge for all of us to take on.”
The fire forced the closure of a section of Interstate 15, the main highway between Southern California and Las Vegas. Among the buildings destroyed was the iconic Summit Inn, a rest stop on the old Route 66. One woman who evacuated, Cathleen Coakley, 54, of Lytle Creek, said the area had been very dry for several years because of a lack of rain and snow.
At one point six firefighters became trapped by the blaze while protecting homes and helping with evacuations in the Swarthout Canyon area west of Cajon Pass, the department said. “The creek is very low. The area is very dry,” said Ms. Coakley, who left behind most of her possessions as she fled, including her dogs.
The firefighters, members of two San Bernardino County engine companies, were able to shelter within a nearby structure. Two had minor injuries and were treated at a hospital and released. No civilian injuries were reported. “You could see the flames flashing up and going up on the mountains,” she said, adding that she had seen airplanes dropping water.
“We’re seeing very aggressive fire behavior, burning through the brush,” Bob Poole, a spokesman for the United States Forest Service, said in an interview with KTLA, a Los Angeles television station. “This is difficult to get in front of this and try to corral it.” A fleet of 10 air tankers, 15 helicopters and 1,300 firefighters were on the scene, officials said. Helicopters scooped up water, and planes sprayed flame retardant in an effort to get ahead of the fire.
A combination of high winds, high temperatures and low humidity in California’s fifth year of drought made for prime wildfire conditions, Mr. Poole said. Firefighters were battling other fires throughout the state, including the Soberanes fire in Monterey County that has burned almost 77,000 acres. The fire forced the closing of a section of Interstate 15, the main highway between Southern California and Las Vegas.
. At one point on Tuesday, six firefighters became trapped by the blaze while protecting homes and helping with evacuations in the Swarthout Canyon area west of Cajon Pass, the department said.
Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in San Bernardino County because of the fire. That will expedite firefighting resources and help fire victims who lost important paperwork to replace it without fees or penalties. The firefighters, members of two San Bernardino County engine companies, were able to find shelter in a nearby structure. Two had minor injuries and were released from a hospital. No civilian injuries were reported.
Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in San Bernardino County on Tuesday because of the fire. That will expedite firefighting resources and help victims who lost important paperwork to replace it without fees or penalties.